It has been desired to shorten processing time to bring about a shortening of delivery time and the saving of labor in the processing of color photographic materials in recent years. Generally, temperatures are elevated or the required amount of replenisher is increased to shorten time in each processing stage. Other methods for shortening time include a method wherein stirring is vigorously conducted and a method wherein various accelerators are added.
Particularly, there is known a method wherein there are processed color photographic materials containing a silver chloride emulsion in place of a silver bromide emulsion or a silver iodide emulsion which conventionally are widely used to expedite color development and/or to reduce the replenishment rate (i.e., the required amount of replenisher). For example, WO No. 87-04534 discloses a method wherein silver halide color photographic materials having a high silver chloride content are rapidly processed with color developing solutions which are substantially free from sulfite ion and benzyl alcohol.
However, it has been found that the above method has such disadvantages that when development is carried out by using automatic processors for paper, photographic characteristics (particularly minimum density) often fluctuate and the white area is greatly stained.
Accordingly the rapid processing of high silver chloride color photographic materials has a serious problem in that photographic characteristics fluctuate during processing. It is highly desired to solve the problem.
In the method for rapidly processing high silver chloride color photographic materials, it is known that organic anti-fogging agents are used to reduce the fluctuation of photographic characteristics (particularly fogging) in continuous processing. See, JP-A Nos. 58-95345 and 59-232342 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"). However, it has been found that the effect of preventing fogging is insufficient, an increase in minimum density due to continuous processing can not be prevented from being caused and when large amounts of the anti-fogging agents are used, lowering in maximum density is caused.
JP-A No. 61-70552 discloses a method wherein silver halide color photographic materials having a high silver chloride content are used and developing solutions are added in such a low replenishment rate (i.e., a reduced amount of replenisher) that overflow into developing bath is not caused during development.
JP-A No. 63-106655 discloses a method wherein silver halide color photographic materials containing silver halide emulsion layers having a high silver chloride content are processed with color developing solutions containing hydroxyamine compounds and chlorides at an exceeding concentration of a desired concentration to provide a stabilized processing.
In these methods, however, fluctuation in photographic characteristics caused by processing using automatic processors are found during continuous processing, and the above-mentioned problems are not solved.